Keep Calm!!

Okay so I have had some severe writers block. I was doing great and then I realized there were many things that I was ignoring. Yes, I had an ADD moment. “Squirrel”.  I am going to get back on the band wagon.  I even have a blog that I started to write several weeks ago. I am on the fence about publishing it. It does not feel completed. Wait, Squirrel.

Okay, so maybe I can include below what I have been working on over the last few weeks. This will hopefully help spur on my writing process again.

Keep Calm and Carry On

This phrase has really become a cultural tag line over the last year.  Anything from “keep calm and play ball” to “keep calm and clean on”. I have recently tried to embody this tag line. I tend to overreact on occasions; not think through my actions, act before I have all the information. If I could “keep calm and carry on” during these moments, I would come out better in the end.

During the Winter Olympics the commentators were always commenting on how these athletes must learn to relax while accelerating on treacherous terrain. This really hit home for me. We need to relax. We need to take whatever comes at us and deal with it calmly, deliberately. Overreacting will cause you to hit the wall. It will slow down your progress. You need to feel that you have the time to react, time to digest, and time to get past the obstacle. If you feel rushed or out of control, you react out of reflex. If you have been practicing the calm approach then your reflex will be to stay calm. If you have been practicing while being unbalanced your reflex to over react could put you in danger.

Getting ready for my second race of the season, Chainbusters 3 hours of Lake Allatoona, while becoming familiar with my new Pacenti Cycle Design wheel set, I really had to embody the keep calm attitude. Scott’s Bicycle Centre did a great job building the wheels. I got to ride on them one time prior to the race. The race course was relatively flat with lots of flowy and curvy lines. Cornering is one thing I am really struggling with right now. When I see a switch back, I tend to over reach right before the turn, slow down too much and creep through. Having never been on this course I was unsure of what to expect. During the first lap I was decelerating way too much. On a muddy course that was the wrong thing to do. It caused me to struggle with getting through the mud, fatiguing my muscles and losing more confidence (and speed). I even had one rider behind me say “braking is your enemy”. I could not agree more! The second lap I continued to struggle. Finally on the third lap I stopped being tense about the turns, relaxed, thought through the cornering technique I have been working on and achieved smoother lines. I was still much slower than I wanted to be. Even though I was slower, the relaxation through the corners did provide me with a sense of more control.

The next race I faced some real stiff competition. It was the first of the SORBA Chattanooga race series, the Booker T. Pick Your Poison XC race. I rode in the women's open class. The other women in this class typically rode one or two classes higher than me. I knew it was going to be extremely important for me to stay relaxed, and breath. I needed to use my eyes to look at the trail ahead, be prepared for what is coming. I don’t need to mentally beat myself up before any race. I know this course, I know all the climbs, turns and tricky areas. While this gives me the ability to be prepared, it also gives me the tendency to over reach before I even get there. When I race on a course I have never ridden, I do not have any preconceived expectations. I started this race relaxed, too relaxed. I knew there was no way for me to podium. I went out not fighting. By the time I realized that I could be doing better I was too far behind to catch up. Then, the times were posted. I rode the fastest I had ever ridden on that trail. I was beyond happy. I felt great about my efforts. I may not have been in contention for the podium but I was proving my competitive stamina. I improved my time from last year by 3 minutes on each lap!

So here I am today. Faced with another course/trail that I have never ridden. Not only will this be a new trail but this is also a new series for me. I will be riding in a more sprint type competition. Only 2 laps, shorter course, and faster ladies to chase. Lots of reasons to overreact. Breath, focus, stay relaxed. This race is also my sons first big race. I have to set the example. Make this fun. Don't let him get overwhelmed by the pressure. Breath, focus, stay relaxed. I have to focus on the trail a head. Focus on what is to come, not worry about what is already or currently happening. I need to control what is to come. 

So where is the balance? Reach fast enough to keep on target but slow down enough to think through it. I have so much to change. Work on focus, work on breathing, work on relaxing. As changes are made, it will not always be perfect. It will be slow. The more you practice, the more comfortable you will become. Keep calm, get better. That is the target right; to get better. Keep calm and carry on. Now to make that my mantra.